School violence statistics describe several different experiences rather than one single measure. In U.S. public schools, principals estimated 857,500 violent incidents during the 2021–22 school year. Separately, the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 19% of high school students reported bullying on school property during the prior year, while 13% missed at least one school day in the prior 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or while traveling to or from school. These figures measure different populations, questions, and time periods, so they should be read separately.
On this page
- Public-school violent incidents
- How school size relates to reported incidents
- Weapons and threats reported by students
- Safety concerns and missed school
- Bullying on school property
- Sexual violence reported by high school students
Public-school violent incidents
The National Center for Education Statistics’ Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings From the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2021–22 reports principal-reported estimates for U.S. public schools during the 2021–22 school year. Schools recorded an estimated 857,500 violent incidents, an estimated rate of 18.0 violent incidents per 1,000 students. An estimated 67.3% of public schools recorded at least one violent incident during that school year. NCES, Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools
NCES also estimated 70,000 serious violent incidents, equal to 1.5 serious violent incidents per 1,000 students. About 19.7% of public schools recorded at least one serious violent incident. The serious-incident figure is therefore a narrower measure than the all-violent-incident figure.
For this NCES report, “all violent incidents” includes serious violent incidents, physical attack or fight without a weapon, and threat of physical attack without a weapon. Serious violent incidents include rape or attempted rape, sexual assault other than rape, physical attack or fight with a weapon, threat of physical attack with a weapon, and robbery. Those definitions matter when comparing the broad incident count with the serious-incident count.
The main NCES measures can be summarized as follows:
| Measure | Estimate | Measurement period |
|---|---|---|
| All violent incidents | 857,500 incidents | 2021–22 school year |
| All violent incidents per 1,000 students | 18.0 | 2021–22 school year |
| Schools with at least one violent incident | 67.3% | 2021–22 school year |
| Serious violent incidents | 70,000 incidents | 2021–22 school year |
| Serious violent incidents per 1,000 students | 1.5 | 2021–22 school year |
| Schools with at least one serious violent incident | 19.7% | 2021–22 school year |
These are estimated counts and rates, not a student survey of personal experiences. They also describe U.S. public schools, not every school type or every country.
How school size relates to reported incidents
The NCES estimates show different patterns for the smallest and largest public schools. Among public schools with fewer than 300 students, 54.9% recorded at least one violent incident in 2021–22. Those schools recorded an estimated 104,000 violent incidents, and their estimated rate was 23.4 per 1,000 students.
Among public schools with 1,000 or more students, 92.0% recorded at least one violent incident during the same school year. Those schools recorded an estimated 202,400 violent incidents, with an estimated rate of 15.3 per 1,000 students.
| Public-school enrollment | Schools with at least one violent incident | Estimated incidents | Estimated rate per 1,000 students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 300 students | 54.9% | 104,000 | 23.4 |
| 1,000 or more students | 92.0% | 202,400 | 15.3 |
The percentage of schools with at least one incident and the rate per 1,000 students answer different questions. The first describes how widely incidents were reported across schools in each size group. The second expresses incidents relative to enrollment. Neither measure alone describes the severity or circumstances of individual events.
Weapons and threats reported by students
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013–2023 asked high school students in grades 9–12 about experiences during stated lookback periods. In 2023, 9% of U.S. high school students reported being threatened or injured with a gun, knife, or club on school property during the prior 12 months. The reported percentage was 9% for female students and 9% for male students.
Reported percentages varied across the racial and ethnic groups listed in the survey. The percentage was 18% among American Indian or Alaska Native students, 7% among Asian students, 9% among Black students, 10% among Hispanic students, 2% among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, 8% among White students, and 11% among multiracial students.
The CDC report also reported a difference by the listed identity categories: 7% of cisgender and heterosexual high school students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the prior year, compared with 14% of LGBTQ+ high school students. These are percentages of students reporting an experience, not counts of weapon incidents.
The wording also limits the scope of the measure. It covers a gun, knife, or club; it concerns school property; and the lookback period is the prior 12 months as reported in the 2023 survey. It should not be treated as interchangeable with the NCES count of incidents reported by school principals.
Safety concerns and missed school
School safety concerns can affect attendance even when a student is not counted in a school incident report. In 2023, 13% of U.S. high school students said they had missed at least one school day in the prior 30 days because they felt unsafe at school or while traveling to or from school. The percentage was 16% for female students and 10% for male students.
By the racial and ethnic categories reported by the CDC, the percentages were 15% for American Indian or Alaska Native students, 10% for Asian students, 15% for Black students, 17% for Hispanic students, 22% for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, 10% for White students, and 11% for multiracial students.
The same measure was reported by 10% of cisgender and heterosexual students and 19% of LGBTQ+ students. The question includes feeling unsafe at school and feeling unsafe while traveling to or from school, so it is broader than incidents occurring inside a classroom or on school property.
Bullying on school property
In the 2023 YRBS, 19% of U.S. high school students reported being bullied on school property during the prior 12 months. The percentage was 22% among female students and 17% among male students.
Reported percentages for the listed racial and ethnic groups were 17% among American Indian or Alaska Native students, 11% among Asian students, 14% among Black students, 16% among Hispanic students, 6% among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, 23% among White students, and 21% among multiracial students.
The identity-category figures were 16% for cisgender and heterosexual students and 29% for LGBTQ+ students. These percentages represent students reporting that they were bullied on school property during the prior year. They are not school-level counts, and the YRBS notes that survey percentages should not be combined with NCES estimates or treated as the same population measure.
For classroom-management planning, the distinction between bullying and broader violence is important. The NCES all-violent-incident definition is based on incidents reported by public-school principals and includes specified attacks, threats, and serious offenses. The YRBS bullying measure is based on students’ self-reported experiences and is limited here to bullying on school property during the prior 12 months.
Sexual violence reported by high school students
In 2023, 11% of U.S. high school students reported being forced by anyone to do unwanted sexual things during the prior 12 months. The percentage was 17% among female students and 6% among male students.
Across the racial and ethnic categories in the report, the percentages were 15% among American Indian or Alaska Native students, 6% among Asian students, 9% among Black students, 13% among Hispanic students, 9% among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students, 11% among White students, and 13% among multiracial students.
The CDC also reported 8% among cisgender and heterosexual students and 20% among LGBTQ+ students. The survey wording refers to sexual violence by anyone, so these figures are not limited to acts committed by another student, nor are they limited to events occurring at school.
The YRBS percentages in this article describe high school students in grades 9–12 in the United States and refer to the relevant lookback period stated for each measure. The NCES figures describe principal-reported estimates for U.S. public schools during the 2021–22 school year. Because the surveys use different populations, questions, and measurement periods, their percentages and counts should be kept separate when interpreting school violence statistics.